Propulsion arrangement for ships



April 5, 1955 J. KOHNENKAMP PROPULSION ARRANGEMENT FOR SHIPS Filed Oct. 50, 1951 H65 046 -Hj United States Patent PROPULSION ARRANGEMENT FOR SHIPS Johann Kiihnenkamp, Hamburg-Langenhorn, Germany, assignor to H. C. Stulckeu Sohn, Hamburg-Steinwerder, Germany, a firm Application October 30, 1951, Serial No. 253,826

4 Claims. (Cl. 115-34) The present invention relates to a propulsion arrangement for vehicles for locomotion by water, hereinafter referred to as ships, and more particularly to the arrangement of guiding elements for guiding water towards the propeller of a ship in such a manner that the water flows toward the propeller vanes in a twisted state.

In general propellers having fixed vanes are used for the propulsion of ships. This type of propeller has an invariable pitch and operates at maximal efiiciency at a predetermined speed of the ship and at a predetermined number of revolutions at a constant torque on the propeller shaft given by the output of the engine.

In the event that the speed of the ship is reduced on account of higher resistance against movement such as may be caused by rough sea or by increased load due to towing another boat, the propeller having fixed vanes has to overcome a greater resistance than in free drive for which it was designed. Since the available torque cannot be increased on account of the limited output of the engine the number of revolutions of the propeller drops in such cases until a condition of equilibrium of powers is again obtained. However, reduction of the number of revolutions at constant torque results in lower efiiciency, and the whole propulsion arrangement comprising engine and propeller operates with a lower economical efficiency than in free drive.

Propellers provided with adjustable vanes overcome this disadvantage since they may be adapted to a higher load by adjusting the position of the vanes during drive. The vanes of the propeller are adjusted in such a degree that, starting at maximal torque, the full number of revolutions of the engine is obtained, and there is no loss of motive power.

While propellers with adjustable vanes overcome the above described drawbacks, considerable technical and economical deficiencies prevent general employment of adjustable propellers for the propulsion of ships. The construction of such propellers is very complicated, the seal between the adjustable vanes and the propeller hub is the cause of frequent trouble, while the cost of manufacture is very high.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of propellers having fixed vanes, as well as the drawbacks of the propellers having adjustable vanes.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a propulsion arrangement for ships combining the advantages of a propeller with fixed vanes with the efficiency of propellers with adjustable vanes.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a propeller arrangement for a propeller with fixed vanes wherein adjustable guiding elements are arranged so as to deflect and twist the water flowing towards the proeller.

p It is a still further obeject of the present invention to provide the propeller arrangement of a ship having a propeller with vanes with a device by which the water arriving the propeller is given such a twistingwhich means the direction of flow of water against the profile of vane is variable in such a mannerthat the propeller attains its number of revolutions at constant torque of the engine for which it is designed.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a propulsion arrangement permitting economical and efficient operation of ships regardless of the load which has to be overcome by the propulsion arrangement.

2,705,469 Patented Apr. 5, 1955 With these objects in view the present invention mainly consists in a plurality of flat elongated adjustable guiding vanes which are mounted on a ship in front of the propeller in the direction of forward movement.

It is still another object of the present invention that the enveloping curves of the guiding vanes arranged in front of the propeller together with their supporting means arranged at the ship are streamlined. Guiding vanes which are arranged directly behind the stern of ;he ship get such a form that the water flows otf eddyess.

Preferably the guiding vanes are streamlined and twisted and may be adjusted so that the water flowing between and guided by the guiding vanes is deflected in an outward direction to the same extent as the pitch of the rigid propeller vanes decreases outwards.

The novel features which are considered. as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the rear end of a ship provided with a propulsion arrangement according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on line IIII of Fig. 1; 3 is a cross-sectional view on line IIIIII of Fig. 4 is a side view of a guiding element;

Fig. 5 is a rear view of a guiding element;

Fig. 6 is a rear view of a modified embodiment of a guiding element;

gig. 7 is a side View of a connecting annular member; an

Fig. 8 is a cross-section on line VIII--VIII of Fig. 7.

Referring now to the drawings, the rear end of a ship is provided with rudder supporting means 1 supporting a rudder 2. Propeller means including a propeller 4 rotatably mounted in propeller supporting means 3 are arranged behind the four elongated guiding elements 5, of which two are vertically and two horizontally arranged so as to extend in a radial direction with respect to the axis of rotation of the propeller. The upper vertical guiding vane 5 is mounted at the lower end thereof in the propeller supporting means by means of a pivot pin 7 while from the upper end thereof a shaft 6 projects upwardly and is rotatably supported in the rudder supporting means 1. The shaft 6 may be turned by means of operating means which are schematically illustrated as lever 8. The lower vertical guiding vane 5 is pivotally mounted in the lower portion 10 of the rudder supporting means by means of a pivot pin 9, and in the propeller supporting means 3 by means of a pivot 11. The two horizontal guiding vanes 5 are pivotally mounted'Fy pivot pins 12 and 13 in the propeller supporting means 3 and in a supporting member 14 secured to the rear end of the ship at the level of the axis of rotation of the propeller.

An annular connecting member 16, shown in detail in Figs. 7 and 8, is turnably and slidably mounted on a projecting cylindrical portion 15 of the propeller supporting means and provided with four cylindrical recesses 17. Pins 18, fixedly secured to each of the guiding vanes 5, project in assembled position into the cylindrical recesses 17. If the upper vertical guiding element 5 is pivoted by the operation of lever 8 about an axis defined by shaft 6 and pivot pin 7, pin 18 thereof engages the corresponding recess 17 in the annular member 16 and turns the same. Annular member 16 engaging the pins 18 of the other three guiding elements forces the latter to pivot about their respective pivot pins together with the upper vertical guiding element 5.

The cross-section of the guiding vanes is streamlined, the rear edge of which being a straight line as shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 6 shows another embodiment of the guiding vanes having streamlined cross-section with the exception that the vanes are twisted, the rear edge of which then being an oblique line as to be seen from Fig. 6.

Referring only to the pair of following blades, the blades 5 are mounted turnable about a vertical axis by means of pivot pins 7 and 11 in the propeller supporting means 3, and by means of a pivot pin 9 in the rudder supporting member 10. The shaft 6 of the operating means 8 passes through the upper portion of the rudder supporting means and is secured to the upper vertical blade 5 so that the same is turnable about a vertical axis. On a shaft portion 7 of the rudder supporting means 3 an annular member 16 is rotatably mounted. The pins 18 which are secured to the blades 5 turnably engage the recesses 17 in the annular member 16. When the lever 8 is turned, the upper vertical blade is also turned and the rear edge of the same is angularly displaced out of the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Since the upper pivot pin 18 moves during such turning along a horizontal circle, the annular member 16 is forced to turn, and simultaneously slides in axial direction away from the propeller means. The pin 18 of the lower vertical blade engaging a diametrically located recess 17 in the annular member 16 is forced by the member 16 to move along an identical circle in the opposite direction. Thereby the lower vertical blade is forced to turn about the vertical axis defined by the pins 9 and 11, oppositely to the upper blade. The horizontal blades 5 are mounted turnably about a horizontal axis and have pins projecting into recesses 17 of the annular member 16 so that they are turned in opposite directions in a manner similar to the turning of the vertical blades from a normal position shown in Fig. 3 to angularly displaced positions.

Any number of guiding elements may be provided for each propeller, and such guiding elements may be arranged for each propeller of a ship, if more than one propeller is provided.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of propulsion arrangement for ships differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in an adjustable guiding vane for ship propellers, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A propulsion arrangement for a ship comprising in combination, propeller means having propeller vanes and mounted on said ship rotatably about a horizontal axis of rotation; two pairs of streamlined adjustable elongated guiding blades arranged directly in front of said propeller vanes in the direction of forward movement, the blades of each pair of guiding blades located on opposite sides of said axis of rotation of said propeller means, one pair of guiding blades being mounted on said ship turnably about a vertical axis, and the other pair of guiding blades being mounted on said ship turnably about a horizontal axis, each of said guiding blades being adjustable between a normal position located in a plane passing through said axis of rotation of said propeller means and an adjusted position angularly displaced with respect to said plane; and operating means for simultaneously turning the blades of each pair of guiding blades in opposite directions into said angularly displaced positions of the same for deflecting water passing between said guiding blades and flowing towards said propeller vanes so as to adjust the angle between the direction of flow of the deflected water and said propeller vanes, thereby adjusting the impact force of said propeller vanes on the deflected water.

2. A propulsion arrangement for a ship, comprising, in combination, propeller supporting means secured to the rear end of the ship; rudder supporting means secured to the rear end of the ship; propeller means having propeller vanes and supported in said propeller supporting means rotatable about a horizontal axis; a supporting member secured to the rear end of the ship and extending in a substantially horizontal plane passing through an axis of rotation of said propeller means; four elongated adjustable streamlined guiding blades located between the rear end of the ship and said propeller means directly in front of said propeller vanes, two of said guiding blades extending substantially vertically and being mounted at one end thereof in said propeller supporting means and at the other end thereof in said rudder supporting means turnably about a vertical axis, and the other two guiding blades extending substantially horizontally and having mounted at one end thereof in said propeller supporting means and at the other end thereof to said supporting member turnably about a horizontal axis so that each of said guiding blades is turnable about a longitudinal axis extending in a radial direction with respect to the axis of rotation of said propeller means from a normal position located in a plane passing through the axis of said propeller means to an angularly displaced position; operating means for turning at least one of said guiding blades; and an annular member mounted on said propeller supporting means turnable about the axis of said propeller means slidable in axial direction and pivotally connected to said one end of each of said guiding blades at a point horizontally spaced from said longitudinal axis thereof for turning said two vertically arranged blades in opposite directions, and for turning said. horizontally arranged blades in opposite directions from said normal positions of the same to said angularly displaced positions when said one of said guiding blades is turned by said operating means whereby water passing between said guiding blades is deflected and flows towards said propeller vanes, the angle between the direction of the deflected water and said propeller vanes is changed thereby adjusting the impact force of said propeller vanes on the deflected water.

3. A propulsion arrangement for a ship, comprising, in combination, propeller supporting means secured to the rear end of the ship; rudder supporting means secured to the rear end of the ship; propeller means having propeller vanes and supported in said propeller supporting means rotatable about a horizontal axis; a supporting member secured to the rear end of the ship and extending in a substantially horizontal plane passing through the axis of rotation of said propeller means; four elongated adjustable streamlined guiding blades located between the rear end of the ship and said propeller means directly in front of said propeller vanes, two of said guiding blades extending substantially vertically and being mounted at one end thereof in said propeller supporting means and at the other end thereof in said rudder supporting means turnably about a vertical axis, and the other two guiding blades extending substantially horizontally and being mounted at one end thereof in said propeller supporting means and at the other end thereof to said supporting member turnably about a horizontal axis so that each of said guiding blades is turnable about a longitudinal axis extending in a radial direction with respect to the axis of rotation of said propeller means from a normal position located in a plane passing through the axis of said propeller means to an angularly displaced position; operating means for turning at least one of said guiding blades, each of said guiding blades having a streamlined cross section terminating in a rear edge; and an annular member mounted on said propeller supporting means turnable about the axis of said propeller means slidable in axial direction and pivotally connected to said one end of each of said guiding blades at a point horizontally spaced from said longitudinal axis thereof for turning said two vertically arranged blades in opposite directions, and for turning said horizontally arranged blades in opposite directions from said normal positions of the same to said angularly displaced positions when said one of said guiding blades is turned by said operating means whereby water passing between said guiding blades is deflected and flows towards said propeller vanes, the angle between the direction of the deflected water and said propeller vanes is changed,

aromas therebyi adjusting the impact force of said propeller vanes on the deflected water.

4. A propulsion arrangement for a ship; comprising. in combination, propeller supporting means secured to the rear end of the ship; rudder supporting means secured to the rear end of the ship; propeller means having propeller vanes and supported in said propeller supporting means rotatable about a horizontal axis; a supporting member secured to the rear end of the ship and extending in a substantially horizontal plane passing through the axis of rotation of said propeller means; four elongated adjustable streamlined twisted guiding blades located between the rear end of the ship and said propeller means directly in front of said propeller vanes, two of said guiding blades extending substantially vertically and being mounted at one end thereof in said propeller supporting means and at the other end thereof in said rudder supporting means turnably about a vertical axis, and the other two guiding blades extending substantially horizontally and being mounted at one end thereof in said propeller supporting means and at the other end thereof to said supporting member turnably about a horizontal axis so that each of said guiding blades is turnable about a longitudinal axis extending in a radial direction with respect to the axis of rotation of said propeller means from a normal position located in a plane passing through the axis of said propeller means to an angularly displaced position; operating means for turning at least one of said guiding blades, each of said guiding blades having a streamlined cross section terminating in a rear edge extending at an acute angle to the plane defined by said axis of rotation of said propeller means and by the axis of the respective guiding blade, and an annular member mounted on said propeller supporting means turnable about the axis of said propeller means slidable in axial direction and pivotally connected to said one end of each of said guiding blades at a point horizontally spaced from said longitudinal axis thereof for turning said two vertically arranged blades in opposite directions, and for turning said horizontally arranged blades in opposite directions from said normal positions of the same to said angularly displaced positions when said one of said guiding blades is turned by said operating means whereby water passing between said guiding blades is deflected and flows towards said propeller vanes, the angle between the direction of the deflected water and said propeller vanes is changed, thereby adjusting the impact force of said propeller vanes on the deflected water.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,461,841 Wagner July 17, 1923 1,772,348 Hammond Aug. 8, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS 269,252 Great Britain Apr. 19, 1927 417,186 Great Britain Oct. 1, 1934 

